Longino (1995)
Longino, Helen. (1995) Gender, Politics, and the Theoretical Virtues. Synthese 104 (3), 383-397.
Title | Gender, Politics, and the Theoretical Virtues |
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Resource Type | journal article |
Author(s) | Helen Longino |
Year | 1995 |
DOI | doi:10.1007/bf01064506 |
Journal | Synthese |
Volume | 104 |
Number | 3 |
Pages | 383-397 |
Abstract
Traits like simplicity and explanatory power have traditionally been treated as values internal to the sciences, constitutive rather than contextual. As such they are cognitive virtues. This essay contrasts a traditional set of such virtues with a set of alternative virtues drawn from feminist writings about the sciences. In certain theoretical contexts, the only reasons for preferring a traditional or an alternative virtue are socio-political. This undermines the notion that the traditional virtues can be considered purely cognitive.